5 Things We Can Tell You About the Mercedes-AMG Hypercar

Be prepared to be blown away when the production-ready version of the hybrid hypercar, known as Project One, is revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Since Mercedes-AMG revealed the hybrid Project One's powertrain at the ADAC Zurich 24-Hour Race at the Nürburgring in May, a few more details have emerged. Here's what we know so far.

1. It's powered by Lewis Hamilton's car's engine

The Project One's engine is a revised, "streetable" version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre W08 EQ Power+ hybrid unit from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS 2017 Formula One race cars. It also incorporates elements from the W06 (2015) and W07 (2016) engines. For the purposes of longevity and driveability, the idle speed was dropped from 4 500rpm to 1 100rpm, and the redline from 13 500rpm to 11 000rpm. Additional F1 technology includes inboard pushrod suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes and active aerodynamics.

2. And four electric motors

Two of these motors drive the rear axle along with the internal combustion engine. One of them is powered by harvested kinetic energy and delivers 100kW, while the other has an output of 80kW generated from the turbocharger's heat and serves to spool up the turbo quicker. Both motors store their gains in a liquid-cooled 800V lithium-ion battery. The presence of a front pair of motors technically turns the Project One into a 4MATIC+. The torque from these motors can be split from left to right and each delivers an additional 120kW. Total power output for the car is 736kW, and the pure electric range is 25km.

3. You won't need a Formula One team to run it

Mercedes-AMG wants you to think of Project One as a road car first (it just happens to be able to tear your eyeballs out every time you press the accelerator). You'll also be able to drive it for 50 000km before a complete strip-down is required. As Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers quips: "It will be a street car. You keep it plugged in in the garage. You fill it with fuel. That's it."

4. It nonetheless costs the price of a small country

275 units will be built and sold for €2.3m (R34 341 000) each. Two have already been ordered by South Africans.

5. And, bizarrely, it's not built for outright speed

Rather, Project One is about efficiency and the blue-sky opportunities presented by F1 technology for road cars. According to Tobias Moers, the goal is to be "the most efficient hypercar with an outstanding driving dynamic capability, not necessarily the most powerful". Nonetheless, with better traction than an F1 car – owing to the all-wheel-drive system – the car is well suited "for perfect acceleration and record lap times".

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When the S 400 BlueHybrid – the first Mercedes-Benz foray into hybrid passenger cars – hit the streets nine years ago, no one could imagine the same technology would one day be repurposed to push the limits of performance.